Head-mounted displays have applications in a variety of fields, including engineering design, medical surgery practice, simulated military practice, and video gaming. For example, an augmented reality (“AR”) or virtual reality (“VR”) head-mounted display may allow users to experience realistic, immersive virtual or mixed-reality environments while playing video games, during flight simulation training, or when interacting with co-workers around the globe.
The audio experience provided by a head-mounted display's audio subsystem (such as via integrated or detachable headphones) is often just as important to realizing an immersive and realistic AR/VR experience as the visual imagery that is produced by the head-mounted display. Unfortunately, the audio delivery systems that are typically integrated within conventional head-mounted displays often lack the frequency response necessary to generate sonically rich and accurate auditory experiences. Moreover, any attempt to improve the audio experience of a head-mounted display typically results in corresponding increases in size and weight, which is an often-unacceptable compromise given end users' reluctance to purchase or use bulky or heavy head-mounted displays due to aesthetics or discomfort.